Gun for throwing externally



(No Model.) S. H; EMMENS.

GUN FOR THROWING BXTERNALLY APPLIED PROJEOTILES.

ept. 3, 1889.

8mm Sup/45M HENRY Emma/g fil /Mung.

Patented S UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS, or LONDON, ENGLAND.

GUN FOR THROWING EXTERNALLY-APPLIED PROJECTILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,820, September 3, 1889.

Application 519a 0mm 22,1888. Serial No. 288,767. (Nomodeh) To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that .I, STEPHEN HENRY EM- MENs,a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and a resident of London, in England,-temporarily residing at Harrison, in the State of New York,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Guns, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My present invention relates, primarily, to guns for throwing externally-applied thimbleshaped projectiles; but the invention is applicable in part to guns in general.

This invention consists in certain novel combinations of parts,hereinafter set forth and claimed, for accomplishing the following objects, viz: First, to utilize a short powder.- tube for the propelling charge in connection with a relatively long thimble-shaped proj ectile, so that the lattenmay be of any required length and guided to the requisite extent without correspondin gly len gthenin g the gun; second, to facilitate ejecting the cartridgeshells from a breech loading powdertube coupled endwise to its breech-block; third, to properly support and guide a detached firingpin within a combined breech block and coupling-piece, and, fourth, to render the firing devices simple and effective and to adapt them to be controlled by a suitable trigger at any required distance back of the firing-pin.

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification as part thereof.

Figure 1 of the drawings represents a longitudinal section of a gun shortened by breaks, illustrating this invention. Fig. 2 represents a like view of its barrel end, showing acartridge in place therein. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 represent cross-sections on the lines correspondingly numbered. Fig. 6 is a small scale side view of the gun loaded withone of my convertible projectiles of light weight, and Fig. 7 is a like view of the gun as modified for throwing heavier thimble-shaped projectiles.

Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This gun comprises a short powder-tube A, a breech-block B, a firing-device tube 0, and a stock-tube D, each of suitable metal, togetherwith a stock E of suitable wood or the like, the latter being long or short, as illustrated,-respectively, by Figs. 6 and 7, according to the'int'endeduse of the gun, its size, &c. The'long-stocked gun, Fig. 6, is employed with light charges for projecting ropes in'case of fire and for like uses, and is designed to be held by one or more men with the stock resting against the ground or any convenient support. The short-stocked gun, Fig. 7, is intended for heavier charges and to be fired from a tubular rest F, Fig. 7, trunnioned near its front end-in a swivel-support G.

The powder-tube A, breech-block B, firingdevice tube 0, stock-tube D, and stock E are preferably cylindrical, and the three parts first named are externally of one and the same diameter, which adapts the gun to carry an externally-applied thimble-shaped projectile longer than the powder-tube, as aforesaid. Fig. 6 shows such a projectile at P in the form of one of my convertible projectiles. The latter constitute the subject-matter of two companion cases, serially numbered 288,765 and 288,766, and form no part of the present invention, except as regards certain funda mental features thereof-namely,aguide-tube A, closed at its front end by a head B, open at the rear to admit the barrel of the gun, to which its bore is fitted, and conveniently provided at or near its rearend with external flight-regulating wings C.

The powder-tube A is fixed t0 the breechblock B by means of an interrupted screwjoint, as shown in cross*section in Fig. 3, and

the front of the breech-block is recessed to recei ve the base of a center-fi re powder-cartridge stick in the recess, the powder-tube would be withdrawn from the shell, and the latter could then be quickly detached by striking the shell laterally.

A shouldered axial bore of small diameter opening through the front of the breech-block accommodates a firing-pin F, which is caused too for the firing-pin, as clearly shown in Figs. 1v

and 2. Externally the rear end of the breechblock is of reduced diameter, and the front end of the tube 0' is conveniently attached thereto by screws, as'shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, for example, and thus coupled to the powder-tube. The firing-pin F is driven forward by an axial hammer-rod H, Figs. 1 and'5, whichextends rearward within said tube 0 to a trigger I, and may be of any required length without decreased effectiveness. A pair of spiral springs'J K, Fig. l, are located on the respective sides of a collar L, fast on the ham-.

mer-rod H. Said spring J reacts againsta rear diaphragm-disk'M as the striking-spring,

and said spring K, which is relatively light and short, reacts against a front diaphragmdisk M as a recoil-spring to keep the front end of the hammer-rod normally outof contact with I the retracted firing-pin, as repre sented in Fig. 1. I erably one or more supplemental diaphragmdisks- N, Fig. 1, nearer the trigger I, support and guide the hammer-rod H Within'said tube; 0, The trigger I ispre'ferablya rigid crossbar held upon the rear end of theham-mer-rod H by a nut O, with its ends projecting normallythrough'longitudinal slots Pin the top and bottom. (or opposite sides) of the tube 0.

The gun is cooked by drawing back the hammer-rod by meansof the trigger and turning the latter sothat it occupies slots Q at right angles to said slots P, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The gun is fired by striking one end of the triggenso as to disengage it from said slots Q, whereupon the spring J throws the,hammer-rod H forward, causing its front'end to strike the firing-pin F and the latter to explode the cap of the cartridge P The-firing-pin and ham mer-rod areinstantly retracted by said recoil-springs G and K. -The recoil of the rigidly-connected powder-tube A, breech-block B, and firingdevice tube 0'. is. sustained by a steel disk R, interposed'between the rear end of said tube 0' and the'front end of the stock E and by the non-metallic stock. Any smoke or gases which may penetrate backward along the fir-- Said disks M M and prefexpressly stated.

' Having thus described mys'aid improvement in guns, I claim as my invention and desire to patent under this specification- 1. In combination. with a thimble-shaped projectile having an axial guide-bore, a gun having a short cylindrical powder-tube, a firing device tube, and coupling devices uniting said tubes end to end, all of which are'externall-y fitted to said guide-bore, a suitable stock to which said firing-device tube is attached, inclosed axial firing devices, and a suitable cocking and firing trigger, the latter projecting near the stock end of said firinghdevice tube, whereby the gun is adapted to carry an externallysappliedprojectile longer than the powder-tube, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

2. In combination with a powder-tube having the socket part of an interrupted screwjoint at its rear end, a breech-block provided with the plug part of such joint and'havi'ng its front recessed to admit the base of the cartridge-shell, substantially as hereiubefore specified;

3. In combination with a powder-tube, a firing-device tube in line therewith, an axial hammer-rod within the latter, a detached axial firing-pin provided with a recoil-spring, a combined breech-block and coupling-piece having a shouldered axial bore at its front end, and a chambered rear end, the latter capped to forma central rear guide for the firing-pin, substantially as hereinbcfore specified.

4. In combination with a breech-loading powder-tube, a breech-block, and a' firing-device tube in line with each other, an axial firing-pin and a recoil-spring therefor-within the breech-block, an axial hammer-rod in rear thereof having a collar fast thereon, a suitable trigger connected with its rear end, spiral striking and recoil springs behind and in front of said collar, respectively, and diaphragmdisks fast within the firing-device tube-to 00- act with the springs last named, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

STEPHEN H. EMMENS.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL B. HAMBURG, NEWTON W. EMMENS.. 

